Friday, June 27, 2014

TSN has about 40 million reasons to embrace its role in the heightened
profile of the CFL.

The league signed a fiveyear contract extension last spring which
officially kicks in this season, securing TSN as its exclusive television
partner through 2018.

The landmark deal, valued at approximately $40 million per season, has
been called a game changer for the budget conscious CFL - tangible affirmation
of its increased value within the Canadian sports landscape.

The new contract is believed to be worth almost three times more than
the previous deal, an investment which means that TSN's commitment to the CFL
is stronger than ever.

That said, it doesn't mean the network is planning to stray from its
tried-and-true

formula.

As the old saying goes, if it ain't broke, don't fix.

"We don't feel pressure to up our game," said Mark Milliere,
TSN's senior vicepresident of production. "We're very proud of the work
we've done on it. More than anything you feel that extra sense of ownership.
It's Year 1 of an exclusive arrangement and you want to keep building on all
the momentum you put behind it and keep growing it. That's not pressure, it's
more excitement."

TSN and the CFL entered into their first exclusive television agreement
in 2008, ending the league's 55-year relationship with CBC.

The move was followed by a steady ratings upswing - in conjunction with
a period of unprecedented growth for the league - which validated the network's
faith in the product, not to mention its investment.

"It's a huge source of pride," offered Milliere, TSN's second
in command. "Everyone at TSN feels they've had a hand in that. The CFL is
a great product. To see where the momentum is at, where it's building, to see
the new stadiums coming on board, to see the job that (commissioner) Mark
(Cohon) and his team have done in terms of building the league and working
together with them, it's very rewarding."

Although the CFL's lucrative deal with TSN was regarded as being good
for the league, it also provided some ammunition for the players heading into
negotiations this spring for a new collective bargaining agreement. After
several weeks of posturing and on-again, offagain talks, the sides came to an
agreement in the midst of training camps, ending the threat of a strike and
ensuring the season would begin as scheduled.

"You look at it and go, 'That's just the byproduct of a successful
league,' " noted Milliere. "When a league starts getting that
momentum and that success, everyone wants their slice. It's just like other
leagues. They all go through it. There's obviously angst that goes with that
when you're the broadcaster, hoping it all gets resolved. You don't want to
break stride. Thankfully they got it resolved."

TSN was recently involved in a strenuous negotiation of its own when the
network was outbid by rival Sportsnet for the national rights to NHL hockey.

Despite that setback, Milliere said the network is going full steam
ahead with its remaining stable of sports properties, including the CFL.

"We still have a ton of hockey to produce," he said.
"I'll produce as many hockey games or more this regular season than I did
last year (due in part to the acquisition of regional broadcasts). The NHL is
still a huge part of TSN.

"The CFL has always been a priority for us because of its exclusive
arrangement. That is unique, like our Hockey Canada arrangement. I don't know
if anything changes. We feel a tremendous amount of ownership - a tremendous
amount of pride - in terms of the growth of the league. We just want to keep
going with that momentum."

Friday, June 13, 2014

Family and friends are still the number one influence on
decision-making, according to a new study by Veritas Communications.

The Veritas Canadian Influencer Study found that family
(70%), friends (67%) and trusted experts (34%) have the greatest influence on
female consumers’ decisions to try a new product or service.

“When marketers think of tapping
into influencers, they automatically think of media and social media, and that
makes sense because they do have a lot of influence,” said Krista Webster,
president and partner at MDC-owned Veritas Communications. “But marketers have
forgotten the lost art of tapping into family and friends.”

Webster added that there’s a big opportunity for smart brands to
recognize the power of word of mouth. “It’s authentic, it takes time and you
have to nurture it,” she said. “For many marketers, things have to happen
immediately. But true staying power and true loyalty comes from allowing things
happen in their own time… This is the slow movement for earned media.”

Overall, bloggers continue to grow in influence among women, who
cite a blogger recommendation as an important trigger to trying a new product
or service for the first time (22%). “The voice is authentic [in blogs]. It’s
like a friend,” said Webster.

The study also found that trust in new channels is on the rise.
While conversations with family and friends tops the list of most-trusted
channels for women sourcing information about a product or service (65%), the
gap between traditional and new media is closing. The most-used channels for
finding information about a new product or service include traditional media
(41%), online media (37%) and advertising (30%).

“The trust of influencers in [a female consumer’s] circle is
very high and she does not discern between online and offline anymore,” said
Webster. “The authenticity of that voice is more important to her than ever.”

In addition, women are more likely to source information from
social and digital channels where friends, family or trusted sources post
information, including social networks (38% versus 31% national average),
online communities (27% versus 25%) blogs (26% versus 19%) or branded
apps/tools (22% versus 19%).

Other findings in the survey:

·39% of female respondents consider themselves to be
influencers—by more often acting as an influencer than one who is influenced.

·37% of female respondents said people often ask their opinion
about what products or services they should consider buying or using.

·48% of female respondents said they actively share news on new
products or events with others.

·74% of female respondents have switched from at least one
preferred brand in the past year.

While the Millennial generation indeed
founded the social media movement, their interests, backgrounds and aspirations
span well beyond what’s listed on their Facebook pages. This generation’s
digital tendencies, however, mean that marketers and brands need to step up
their games in order to keep up and engage with them. Adding to the challenge
is the need for diversity with a greater portion of millennials belonging to a
multicultural group – redefining mainstream.

And
these 18 to 34 year-olds are worth the effort. Why? Because they are 9 million
strong in Canada — on par with Baby Boomers — and make up 26 percent of the
country’s population. And while many are still climbing the income ladder, this
group’s size and age range highlight its long-term purchase power. Carman
Allison, VP Consumer Insights Canada at Nielsen, takes a look into the trends
surrounding this changing generation—including purchasing habits, consumption
patterns, media choices and more.